Culture Archives - Page 2 of 31 - Postcards from The Pug Bus

Postcards from The Pug Bus

Lifting a satirical leg on popular culture

Persons in the Ether

Question of the Week

Would you rather live in a treehouse or in a cave?

Lorraine Mudgett, 61, municipal permit folder

Allegedly residing at 27 Wren Ladder Road, Scranton, PA

Treehouse. At least when society collapses, I’ll have a view. A cave feels like giving up with stone furniture.

Calvin Tress, 48, assistant pudding logistics coordinator

Allegedly found at 904 Fern Sink Lane, Tulsa, OK

Cave. No gutters, no ladders, no raccoons judging my curtains. Humanity went indoors for a reason, even if it has since misused the privilege.

Denise Palko, 36, freelance receipt interpreter

Allegedly located at 116 Mossy Bureau Avenue, Boise, ID

Treehouse. A cave says “feral emergency.” A treehouse says “whimsical emergency,” which feels slightly better on a lease application.

Older man stands in bright hotel lobby beside poster of his life’s ending, comparing himself to curated version, theme: deciding how a life ends

One if by land, two if by sea.

Culture

Focus Groups Now Deciding How a Life Ends

philmaggitti cultural commentary 1 month

Because few decisions carry more finality than deciding how a life ends, it has become difficult to justify leaving that decision to fate. A case… Read More

A ghost of a dead lifestyle influencer sits on her marble tomb, glowing as she scrolls her phone. A sunlit glass of water and magnesium chews rest on a nearby pedestal.

Staying hydrated is vital even when you are just a shimmering cloud of data.

Culture

A Dead Lifestyle Influencer Keeps on Posting

philmaggitti cultural commentary 1 month

Death, like most things, has become a scheduling issue. When dead lifestyle influencer Lila Fenwick, then 34, died last month following an undisclosed medical event,… Read More

Rock star dentist smashes guitar in exam room as terrified patient recoils in chair, blending dental routine with chaotic concert energy in absurd scene

Routine cleaning, now with encore.

Culture

Everyone’s a Rock Star, Baby

philmaggitti cultural commentary 1 month

Being a rock star used to involve leather, volume, and a willingness to disappoint your parents in public. Now it requires a LinkedIn profile and… Read More

A true crime podcast delivered from a Subaru with a Blue Yeti microphone and ring light, aimed toward a suburban cul-de-sac with complete seriousness.

Kelsey Dunbar in her studio. Tuesday, Overland Park.

Culture

Portrait of a True Crime Podcast

philmaggitti cultural commentary 2 months

On a Tuesday afternoon in Overland Park, Kansas, Kelsey Dunbar, who publishes a true crime podcast, climbs into her 2021 Subaru Forester. She adjusts the… Read More

Minimalist lineup of seven people with subtle style differences, illustrating how small choices reflect personality and identity in Choose Your Default Font

Everyone is unaware that their default setting reveals personality.

Culture

Choose a Default Font Wisely, Your Personality Is on Display

philmaggitti cultural commentary 2 months

The personality you spend years and hundreds of Google searches developing is revealed when you choose a default font. Therapy, travel, guilty pleasures, minor betrayals.… Read More

Wellness influencer meditates serenely in a Sedona yurt while her boyfriend kneels beside her, holding a reflector and filming on his phone.

"Day three of her digital detox."

Culture

Wellness Influencer Goes Full In on Detox Retreat

philmaggitti cultural commentary 2 months

Brinley Marsh, an intentional living and wellness influencer from Scottsdale, Arizona, spent five days at the Crimson Mesa Digital Detox Sanctuary outside Sedona in March.… Read More

Four ABBA members in 1976 wear bright IKEA T‑shirts under warm stage lights, smiling with cheerful precision that echoes IKEA Desk Assembly Instructions.

BBA demonstrates the power of a band that can sing, sparkle, and still look fully qualified to explain IKEA Desk Assembly Instructions.

Culture Music

ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” Played Backward Contains IKEA Desk Assembly Instructions

philmaggitti cultural commentary 2 months

The Bureau of International Audio Standards (BIAS) has confirmed that the 1976 ABBA hit “Dancing Queen,” when played backward, contains a complete set of IKEA… Read More

The illustration for the how to apply cologne satire piece. Man applying excessive cologne in bathroom, thick fog filling the room as he admires himself in mirror,

The smoke alarm died months ago.

Culture

How to Apply Cologne: A Gentleman’s Guide

philmaggitti cultural commentary 2 months

Men apply cologne with more enthusiasm than self-awareness. How to Apply Cologne: The Gentleman’s Guide, promotes cologne as a finishing touch. In real life, cologne often … Read More